State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
Vima Niyamak Shree vs Makwana Panaben Pravinbhai on 29 October, 2021
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RELIANCE GENERAL INSURANCE GF R]SFNFDF\ GFDNFZ ;]l5|D SM8"[ 5[ZFv!( DF\ GLR[ D]HA 9ZFJ[, K[P "18. It becomes very Clear from a perusal of the above mentioned case law of this Court that the insurance company, in order to avoid liability must not only establish the defence claimed in the proceeding concerned, but also establish breach on the part of the owner/insured of the vehicle for which the burden of proof would rest with the insurance company. In the instant case, the respondent-Company has not produced any evidence on record to prove that the accident occurred on account of the overloading of passengers in the goods carrying vehicle. Further, as has been held in the case of B.V.Nagaraju (AIR 1996 SC 2054) (supra) that the insurer to avoid his liability, the breach of the policy must be so fundamental in nature that it brings the contract to an end. In the instant case, it is undisputed that the accident was infact caused on account of the rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle by its driver, against whom a criminal case vide FIR No.66 of 2010 was registered for the offences referred to supra under the provisions of the IPC. These facts have not been taken into consideration by either the State BORICHA APPEAL NO. 51/2021 Page 5 of 7 Commission or National Commission while exercising their jurisdiction and setting aside the order of the District Forum. Therefore, the judgment and order of the National Commission dated 26.04.2013 passed in the Revision Petition No.2032 of 2012 is liable to be set aside, as the said findings recorded in the judgment are erroneous in law."
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